Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda instructed newly appointed Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy Kaoru Yosano on Monday to work out a far-reaching stimulus package to counter the economic slowdown caused mainly by rising oil and food prices, officials said.

Ten people attending an event at Tokyo Big Sight suffered minor injuries on Sunday after the escalator they were riding on came to a halt and reversed direction, police said.

Starting from the postwar period when Japan made a transition from recovery to rapid economic growth, the late manga artist Fujio Akatsuka continued to make Japanese people laugh and encouraged them.

TOKYO (AP) -- An American nuclear submarine making a regular stop in southern Japan does not present a risk, the U.S.

NAGASAKI -- How do you survive Kyushu's hot summer nights when your electricity has been cut off? For one Nagasaki resident, the answer was simple: steal some juice from your neighbor.

The number of those who were transported to hospitals in Tokyo by ambulances in July for heat stroke hit 578, the highest figure in 10 years for July, the Tokyo Fire Department said.

SAPPORO -- Two men have been arrested for fatally running over a fishing gear store employee who chased them after they stole fishing equipment on the weekend, police said.

The approval rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda rose 3 points to 25 percent following a reshuffle on Friday, according to a Mainichi survey.

TOKYO (AP) -- At least 20 people were injured when an escalator at a Tokyo convention center jerked to an abrupt halt Sunday, knocking down dozens, police and paramedics said.

TOKYO (AP) -- Members of Japan's newly appointed Cabinet said Sunday they are considering further economic stimulus measures to address consumer concerns about rising prices.